Afghan returnee numbers this year top 276,000 – UN refugee agency

The United Nations refugee agency said today that some 276,700 Afghans returned to their homeland this year through its voluntary repatriation programme, 99 per cent of them coming from neighbouring Pakistan.

The remaining 1 per cent of returnees came from Iran and other countries, Ewen MacLeod, Acting Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, told a news conference in Kabul.

He attributed this year’s numbers to three main factors: the high prices of food and fuel which have strongly impacted Pakistan’s economy, the closure of the large Jalozai refugee camp in the Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP), and the “changing” security situation in Pakistan, particularly in NWFP, where the majority of Afghan refugees live.

Mr. MacLeod noted that over 5 million people have returned to Afghanistan since 2002, representing a 20 per cent increase in the country’s overall population. Some 4.3 million of them were assisted through UNHCR’s voluntary repatriation programme for Afghan refugees, the world’s largest for the past six years.

“I think it is very clear to everybody that an increase in a population with a refugee return programme of that dimension would represent a very sharp challenge for even a Western industrialized country. We are certainly not aware, in recent history, of any country that has absorbed so many people in such a short time.

”The solidarity demonstrated by the Afghan population in reabsorbing these huge figures is remarkable and without precedent anywhere else,” he added.

He said it is clear that return and reintegration in Afghanistan will become more challenging. The returnees face many difficulties, including lack of job opportunities, shelter and basic services such as health care and education.

“In order to create sufficient employment opportunities the economy has to grow at a quicker pace to absorb more workers in labour markets,” he stated.

Future challenges will be among the issues discussed at an international conference on return and reintegration, organized by the Afghan Government and UNHCR, which will be held in Kabul on 19 November.

UNHCR’s Afghan repatriation programme has now been suspended for the winter and will resume next March. The agency estimates there are still 2.8 million registered Afghans living in Pakistan and Iran.

(UN; 3 november 2008)

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Afghan repatriation tops agenda of UN refugee chief’s visit to Pakistan

The top United Nations refugee official Thursday 28 August wrapped up a three-day visit to Pakistan, during which the Government agreed to revise a plan for the repatriation of the nearly 2 million remaining Afghan refugees in the country that was due to end next year.

More than 3.4 million Afghans have returned home from Pakistan since 2002 with the help of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR leaving an estimated 1.8 million registered Afghans still living there today.

"Pakistan is UNHCR's biggest partner, hosting the world's largest refugee population for so many years," said UN High Commissioner António Guterres. "No other country has shown such generosity towards its neighbours, and it's important to mobilize more support amongst the international community for this great effort."

During his visit, Mr. Guterres met with top Pakistani officials, including Prime Minister Syed Yousef Raza Gilani and Minister of States and Frontier Regions Najmuddin Khan.

Mr. Guterres stressed that the situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is among his top priorities this year. "We are working on a comprehensive strategy that involves assisting the host communities in Pakistan, fully supporting voluntary repatriation and reintegration, while keeping in mind the challenges in Afghanistan," he said.

To assist Pakistan in its efforts to host the refugees, the High Commissioner presented a pilot project proposal for the refugee affected and hosting areas (RAHA) in Balochistan and North West Frontier Province.

"The UN team in Pakistan is fully committed to the RAHA initiative and will appeal for resources to support it," he said about the project, which will rehabilitate and upgrade infrastructure and services in the sectors of water, sanitation, health care, primary education, environment and livelihood.

Mr. Guterres also announced that an International Conference on Return and Reintegration will be held in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in mid-November to galvanize support for the refugees, returnees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in that country.

While in Pakistan, he also met with the UN country team and member countries of the Group of Eight and the European Union to mobilize support for the RAHA project proposal and the upcoming conference in Kabul.